You don't want to join the RE cos it's rats, fella. Jokes aside it tends to be the popular choice but don't let yourself get led astray to join up any sooner, stick by your guns! Or just an idea but it could possibly be faster to join something else and transfer (saying your alternative job isn't the one), however it can be a lengthy process too but surely less than a year or 2

The REME nor any other capbadge will be ceasing recruiting, they are however limited to the amount of new recruits they can squeeze through the factory. The trade schools can only put out a certain volume of trained soldiers each year.

You wouldn't be happy if you passed out of phase 1 then had to wait 6-12-18 months for a trade course.

If you want a certain trade then be prepared to wait for it, if it's what you want to do, it will be worth it.

IMO the problem is not so much being fully manned but the figures being frigged to match the actual men on the ground. Couple of years back the army was quite a few (tens of) thousands undermanned so our wonderful liabour gobment messed around with numbers and then declared that we were close to fully manned.
What this ConLib gobment need to do is raise the numbers back to pre Liabour and admit we are undermanned but that recruiting is healthy.
Or is that just too obvious?